Raptors trade James Johnson to the Kings

The Raptors have traded forward James Johnson to the Kings in exchange for a future second-round pick.

The Raptors have had a busy, yet fairly uneventful offseason. Big plays at free agents that came up short only to be left with seemingly ugly contracts as a result.

And because of it, they're in a position where they want to create a little space. The Raptors have traded forward James Johnson to the Kings in exchange for a future second-round pick.

“We’re excited to add a talent like James to our young nucleus of players,” said Kings general manager Geoff Petrie in a press release. “He’s an outstanding defender with athleticism who can play at both positions up front while providing some versatility offensively and adding a dimension to what we can do on the floor.”

Johnson is scheduled to earn $2.8 million in 2012-13, which is the final year of his current contract.

What do the Kings get? Taken 16th by the Bulls in 2009, Johnson is a tweener forward that can slash and score a bit. He was moderately productive in his two seasons with the Raptors and could be a nice bench piece to have.

The Raptors signed Landry Fields to a $20 million contract, traded for Kyle Lowry and drafted Terrence Ross. But they're actively looking to deal Jose Calderon and by freeing up a little more cap room with this trade, they open up a few more options.